At Parkhurst, we serve both corporate and higher education sites, making us a multi-faceted dining service partner. Another layer of our offerings is catering, which includes events outside the scope of day-to-day operations, from a two-person lunch all the way up to a fancy dinner for the Board of Directors.
“From two to 2 million,” jokes Director of Catering at the University of New England, Kayla Maniery. “Catering is the face of Parkhurst. We are the silent little workers who float around and put on these beautiful events. We’re so front facing, we know everybody. We know all the housekeepers, facilities people, the president’s office, and assistants; we work with people across all walks of life. Clients know me and reach out via email, and I accommodate what they’re looking for.”
Bill Jones, Director of Dining at a corporate Parkhurst site, echoes Maniery’s statement, saying that putting on an outstanding event depends on knowing your client, asking the right questions, and taking notes, starting with something as simple as a spreadsheet.
“It sounds old-fashioned, but that’s what works,” says Jones. “The Director of Finance [at a client location] may love blueberries, so we’ll have a bowl of blueberries for him or make a blueberry dessert. It’s those things that make Parkhurst successful; you have to know your audience. Students at a collegiate site won’t care as much about lobster bisque as they will pizza.”
Sharing Resources Across 14 States
Parkhurst has significantly expanded since it started more than 25 years ago. While it started with two sites in the same state (that remain clients to this day), today our footprint expands across states. When it comes to providing resources to its operators, Jones says technology helps, like the SmileU remote learning and communication system.
“You can take the classes, pull the reference sheets, and you’ll know what we’re looking for as a company. But you also need to develop relationships with team members as working resources so when you’re in the middle of Indiana, someone a couple hours away can come over and help you or you can call someone down the road.”
Taking advantage of conferences, summits, and other Parkhurst-sponsored events, Maniery says building these relationships has come naturally and become one of the company’s greatest resources.
When writing out — and cooking! — the menu for an African dinner at the University of New England, Maniery sought out fellow Parkhurst chef, Craig Stevens, from John Carroll University to make sure she was on the right track.
“Honestly, I’m not familiar with authentic African menus,” she laughs. “He got on a Zoom call with me and talked through the menu. I wanted to make sure it was appropriate and that things made sense. He sent me recipes and helped me. Afterward, I sent him pictures, and he said, ‘It looks beautiful! I’m sure it was incredible.’ A colleague in Ohio helped me do an event just by getting on Zoom for 30 minutes.”
Having undergone FARE allergen teaching online, Maniery says she’d like to take this training to the next level and share what she knows with more Parkhurst locations, the same way Chef Stevens helped her.
“I get support across 14 states, and now I can support Parkhurst across the same footprint.”
Parkhurst: Chef-Driven and Chef-Focused
Having been with the company for 28 years, Jones knows a thing — or ten — about Parkhurst. From the very beginning, he says the company has always been chef-driven, a focus that still drives them nearly 30 years later.
“The chefs have a lot of freedom compared to some larger organizations that are more corporate-driven. Parkhurst is very fortunate to have fabulous chefs on board to make sure food quality is maintained, and they can adapt things slightly to each unit. When I started with Parkhurst in 1996, even then our VP was very passionate about the culinary focus, and it has continued under Ken [McIntyre] (Vice President of Corporate Dining). We want to be known for good food served hot, stocks from scratch, fresh cut vegetables, homemade French fries. All the good things everybody loves.”
The chef-focused culture even filters into hiring. In addition to being the Director of Catering, Maniery is also a classically trained chef, having owned her own restaurant and served as an executive chef in past positions.
“A lot of companies are managerial. It’s nice to spotlight the chefs, and as a catering director who went to culinary school, I can easily write a menu and talk to clients. When they have an idea or budget or anything they need to be working with, it’s easier for me having that background to speak to that client because I’ve done it, I’ve seen it. Things are more customized, and you get more of that one-on-one client relationship.”
